Superb exercises in both pattern recognition and manual dexterity.
As if by magic, 12 spinning figures suddenly become recognizable shapes when turned beneath a piece of reflective foil.
Sharp attention and the ability to apply slow, steady pressure on the turns are musts for good results. The foil, on a cleverly designed rectangular flap, covers exactly half of each spinner, and when held up at a 90-degree angle, this creates a symmetrical reflection that, at just one specific point as the shape is pushed around, resolves into coherence. The shape suddenly becomes half of an airplane, a partially peeled banana, a mouse, or some other identifiable item. Shin makes it nearly impossible to predict what the animal or thing will be beforehand, as viewed without the mirror, the movable parts are abstract blobs or geometrical constructs. There is the occasional bit of misdirection, such as an apparent snake’s head on what, with the mirror, turns out to be a pair of scissors. But along with a visual key to all 12 solutions at the end, each page turn provides a leading question such as, “Did you find the mosquito?” along with a tiny image that invites turning back for a second try. The simple, brightly colored art is printed on heavy stock, and the moving pieces are firmly enough fastened to survive heavy use.
Superb exercises in both pattern recognition and manual dexterity. (Novelty. 4-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-988-8341-53-5
Page Count: 26
Publisher: minedition
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”
Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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